transtex®SHELL – Softshell from Austria

For the first time, we have developed a three-layer softshell that is 100% made in Austria and whose inner layer is made of transtex®. transtex® was developed by LÖFFLER more than 40 years ago, has been produced without exception in Ried ever since & is still one of the best on the market today.

However, transtex® has not yet been used in textile laminates (layers bonded together). A textile laminate contains at least one textile layer. Layers are bonded together over their entire surface. The features of the base materials are thus combined.

With transtex®SHELL, we have a regionally produced transtex®-based material for laminates that is also PFC-free impregnated.

In addition to fabrics produced in-house (70% of the required fabrics are manufactured in our own knitting mill in Ried), we also process special fabrics that have to be purchased ready-made. This applies in particular to laminates, which are mainly produced and finished by manufacturers in Asia.

We have little influence on these suppliers and cannot force them to comply with all the sustainability criteria we insist on.

For example, we have set ourselves the goal of no longer having any articles in our product range that have been treated with ecologically questionable perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) by 2023. By 2026 at the latest, suppliers must not only provide evidence of a PFC-free finish, but the manufacture of microporous membranes and the material itself must also be free of potentially environmentally harmful chemicals.

transtex®SHELL meets these requirements and exhibits outstanding functionality: It is windproof, water-repellent, breathable and elastic. In addition, the softshell fabric is manufactured in Austria and all components are sourced within Europe. This strengthens the value added in Austria and Europe and reduces dependence on suppliers producing in Asia.

Last but not least, a consistent transtex® system is now also possible for the laminates according to the proven layer principle, for which we are known and which is appreciated by our customers & clients.

• Absolutely windproof
• Water repellent, PFC-free impregnated
• Hydrophilic PES membrane
• Unique transtex® light inner lining
• Very breathable (RET 9 m² PA/W)
• Extremely elastic

With transtex®SHELL, we have succeeded in developing a textile innovation “Made in Austria” to market maturity. The combination of transtex® light made of polypropylene with membrane and outer material made of polyester is unique.

The development of the innovative 3-layer soft shell transtex®SHELL took about 3.5 years and was carried out in cooperation with the Austrian company Voack. On the part of LÖFFLER, mainly the departments: Product Management, Product Development and Quality Assurance were involved. In addition, an internal LÖFFLER and an external test team of athletes were involved in the development, whose feedback contributed to optimizing the quality and functionality of the material and its textile processing. Among others were the 2020 Biathlon World Champion, Lisa Hauser and the most accurate biathlete of 2020: Simon Eder.

The first jacket made by LÖFFLER from transtex®SHELL impresses with high functionality and was awarded the ISPO Award 2021 – proof that there are still companies in Austria with high textile technological competence and that an intra-European manufacturing chain is possible.